GOLF

GOLF; Woods Knows He Can Do It, but He Hasn't Done It Lately

By CLIFTON BROWN

Published: August 11, 2004

HAVEN, Wis., Aug. 10—
After an eight-year absence, Tiger Woods has returned to Wisconsin -- older, wiser, richer, but still under the microscope.

Woods made his professional debut in Wisconsin in 1996, at the Greater Milwaukee Open. He tied for 60th place, won $2,544 and had no idea how much, and how quickly, his life would soon change.

''A lot has happened in my life since then,'' Woods said as he looked forward to the 86th P.G.A. Championship, which begins Thursday at Whistling Straits, about 60 miles north of Milwaukee. ''When I turned pro, I was just praying that I could do well enough not to have to go to Q-school. With my record now, I don't have to.''

Woods chuckled at his own joke, but he has found it easier lately to laugh than to win. With 8 major championships and 40 victories on the PGA Tour, and more than $43.3 million in career earnings on the Tour, Woods has proved what he can do. Yet, lately, he has not done it often. He has one victory this year, at the Match Play Championship in February. He does not have a victory in his last nine majors, dating from his victory at the 2002 United States Open. Unless Woods wins the P.G.A. Championship, he will go consecutive calendar years without winning a major, which would be a first for him since turning pro. And unless he wins the P.G.A., his streak of five consecutive PGA Tour Player of the Year awards looks virtually assured of coming to an end.

One of golf's most intriguing questions is whether Woods will ever dominate golf the way he once did, when he won 7 of 11 majors from the 1999 P.G.A. Championship to the 2002 United States Open. But he remains ahead of the pace set by Jack Nicklaus, who won his eighth major at age 30. Woods is 28.

Heading into the P.G.A. with three consecutive top-10 finishes, Woods says he feels he is about to break out, as he did in 1999, when he ended an 0-for-10 streak in majors by capturing the P.G.A.

''You just keep playing,'' said Woods, who tied for third in his last start, at the Buick Open in Grand Blanc, Mich. ''Yeah, every one of us has moments where we have doubts and we've got to overcome them. That's part of the game. Everybody goes through that.''

Lately, Woods has gone through that. Asked if his level of confidence was different in 2004 from what it was in 2000, Woods said: ''Oh, certainly. I haven't been hitting the ball quite as close to the flags. I haven't been making as many putts.''

But Woods's main problem this year has been consistently hitting fairways, and he hoped that the new Nike driver he switched to last month would continue to help improve his accuracy off the tee. If Woods does not drive the ball well at Whistling Straits, he will not win.

Measuring 7,514 yards, the longest course in major championship history, Whistling Straits is particularly challenging on days like Tuesday, when the wind off Lake Michigan was gusting up to 25 miles an hour.

''If the wind blows like this, I don't think I've ever played a golf course this difficult,'' Woods said. ''If the wind doesn't blow, this is a great golf course to play. But if the wind obviously howls, it's so difficult. It's hard for us as players to describe to you how difficult it is.''

Whatever happens with Woods this week, it will not be boring. He will be paired Thursday and Friday with John Daly and Vijay Singh in a threesome that will surely attract the largest gallery. Woods seemed excited about the electricity that would be generated.

''I don't think I've ever played with J.D. before in competition, in a regular Tour event,'' said Woods, who also won the P.G.A. Championship in 2000. ''Vijay and I have played and have battled many times, so nothing has changed there. I think it will be a pretty great atmosphere to play in front of.''

With Woods no longer dominating, the last nine majors have been won by nine different players. Yet, not all of Woods's rivals are convinced that no player will ever dominate the way Woods did.

''I don't think anybody thought there would be another player to dominate the way Nicklaus did in the majors, and then along came Tiger, so I certainly would not rule it out,'' said Phil Mickelson, who won the Masters this year, finished second at the United States Open and third at the British Open. ''In fact, I would expect it to happen again. I don't know if it will be Tiger again. It very well could be. I don't know if it will be another player of today's crop, or if it will come later on down the line.''

Unlike many people, Woods believes he can play even better than he did from 1999 through 2002, which is why he has continued to make swing changes. His decision to part with the swing coach Butch Harmon has been criticized, and Woods remains the most analyzed player in golf. But in 1999, a victory at the P.G.A. Championship at Medinah Country Club in suburban Chicago catapulted Woods to the best stretch of his career. And he hoped that another victory at the P.G.A. would end another drought in majors.

''It's going to be an interesting test this week, especially if the wind stays up,'' Woods said. ''I feel like I'm playing better and I am excited about it.''

CHIP SHOTS

Fred Couples (bad back) withdrew from the P.G.A. Championship on Tuesday. He was replaced in the 156-player field by Ben Crane.

Photo: One place players will be certain to try to avoid is the overgrown area and the sand leading to No. 11 at Whistling Straights this week. (Photo by Jeff Roberson/Associated Press)